Jude's Home in Sweden

Jude's home in Zinkgruvan, Sweden, has fascinated me since I first met it in the late 90's. Once the farmhouse residence of up to three, often large, families, Jude has lived in it for 40+ years. Early on she needed to haul fresh water for herself and two small daughters from a nearby stream. Now water comes from a well, but only to the kitchen and a small sink/shower/washing machine area near the backdoor. With a zinc mine close by, the property sits on rock topped by just inches of soil. Therefore, an outhouse or “dass” has served as bathroom from the start.

As you can see, a step inside the house takes you back to a much more simple lifestyle. This is exactly what Jude prefers. Although electricity and all it brings came long ago, wood remains the sole heat source for the house and kitchen stove. The woodshed out back and a chopping block and ax inside are ever ready. To say the very least, Jude is a superb cook, making most of her own bread, yogurt, pickles etc. Innumerable clever devices she has conjured up make the house not only deeply comfortable but also a joy to look at and photograph. Outside, the newcomer is a sauna, complete with windows for watching sunsets and a porch for cooling down. Soon an old-fashioned bathtub will provide the more traditional "lake".

I invite you to look carefully at this set of images, take a deep breath and let another world envelop you.